Council praises Armed Forces

Cotswold District Council commemorated Armed Forces Day on Monday 20 June by hosting flag raising ceremonies at both its Cirencester headquarters and its Moreton Area Centre office.

The ceremonies were attended by representatives of the British Legion and other veterans, South Cerney-based 29 Regt, Royal Logistic Corps, military cadets from the Deer Park School, Cirencester, pupils from Dormer House School, Moreton, the public, and members and staff of the Council.

"I was proud to host the ceremony at Trinity Road, welcoming past members of the Armed Forces to celebrate this special day. Despite the poor weather, I was also very pleased to see so many attendees from local schools, the public and the Council, which shows a growing awareness about the role of the armed forces in helping to safeguard the wellbeing of our communities and making the world a safer place.”

The ceremony at Moreton-in-Marsh was hosted by the Chairman of the Council, Cllr Mark Annett, who added:

“Thankfully the rain eased off in time for the event at Moreton, and it went very well. In particular, it was wonderful to see so many young school children attending the ceremony alongside several serving soldiers from South Cerney - the pupils asked lots of interesting questions about life in the Armed Forces and also enjoyed carrying out an impromptu military drill.”

Armed Forces Day was first launched in June 2009 to show support for the work of serving troops and cadets, as well as service families and veterans.

This year, the national celebration will take place in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire on Saturday 25 June and it is preceded by a week of ceremonies, parties and marches across the UK.